The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-11-18

'FATHER GIVE Us YOUR BLESSING. ~
large for the dear old lady as Mr.
Crary's clothes were too small for her
husband, but she had tried to be thank
full
"And how many old clothes have
you worked off on grandma" said
Mrs. Hammond, turning to Marian,
who was turning a diamond ring to
catch the sunlight. ~
"Well, as to that laughed Marian,
II don't remember of disposing of any
in that way. sell my old clothes to
the statuette peddler.
"And how much did you pay mother
for taking care OF you last spring when
you were sick?" Mrs. Hammond was
getting thoroughly disgusted and a
trifle sharp.
"Why, I gave her a fve-dollar BILL"
replied Marian, flushing. Zone doesn't
expect to pay ones relation for every
little kindness of that sort"
"Yet you could not have hired
nurse to do what she did for cent less
than twenty-five dollars, said Mrs.
Hammond, significantly.
1t is needless to follow all the steps
by which Mrs. Hammond prevailed
upon her stylish sisters to give a
grudging consent to establish birth
day-box for the benefit of the old
couple. 1t was through fear of what
"they" would say of them which first
influenced them, but as they talked a
real glow of filial feeling came to them,
and they consented, "if Harrison
would do his share,' to give the old
people Thanksgiving feast worthy of
the name even to the exclusion of the
Judge Macomber dinner, and Mrs.
Crazy, in the exuberance of her newly
awakened generosity, offered Mrs.
Hammond her pony and basket phaeton
in which to drive out to Harrison's.
Of course, the son who could do
what Harrison Roadway had done,
could not be generous, whole-souled
man, but, fortunately, his wife had
the qualities he lacked; she had never
| approved of his taking the farm, and
had sincerely grieved over his broken
promise to the old people, and she
was, therefore, an earnest and influen-
tial helper. "rll invite them all here
for Thanksgiving" she said, cordially,
"and I'll see each one of the family;
they shall, every one, bring some
thing, and father and mother shall
have one pleasant Thanksgiving, if
they never do another
There is every reason to fear that
they can not have many more on
EARTH" said Mrs. Hammond, wiping
away the tears of pleasure which
would keep coming; she had not
looked for such hearty cooperation.
1t was wonderful Thanksgiving
feast, fully fifty people being present
to partake of it, and the old. people
were SO overcome with JOY, when they
were led to the great table, piled high
with groceries, clothing, and other
comforts, that they could only shed
| tears of surprise and pleasure.
" Marthy," said the old man, as
they tottered away toward the long
tables, set with every Thanksgiving
delicacy. 81 told We the Lord 'ud
roll up silver lining, and here He
| has ~softened our children's hearts, an
taken us out of the hand of charity"
At the end of the feast John Ham
mond said, reverently: ''Father,
give us your blessing before we part"
and the old man, now in the ninetieth
year of his age, arose, and, leaning on
his staff, invoked Gods blessing on his
family, in tones of trembling thank
fulness, which were never forgotten.
1t was the last time they were all
together, for, as the winters cold
| came, the old father sickened and
| died, cared for, not by the town au-
thorities, but by his own children, and
the poor, lonely old mother, though
now comfortably established in the
chimney corner at Harrison's, gradll-
ally pinned and faded, until she, too,
passed away, and together they spent
their next Thanksgiving, cover the
Hills" in the mansion prepared for
them by the father whom they loved.
Mrs. F. M. HOWARD.